Tidings Of Comfort And Joy
by PanicButton
Summary: Spence spends the Christmas holiday with the Hotchners. Then things go very wrong in a very bad way.
1. Chapter 1

Tidings Of Comfort And Joy

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

He sat in the hotel room and stared at the walls. He wanted to block out the sounds coming from the next room, but it was too loud. Spencer knew this was a bad idea. He should have spent Christmas alone. People didn't seem to realise he was actually happy being alone with his voices. They had to feel sorry for him and try to help him fit in and so this is why he was here.

Reid didn't really like Christmas all that much. They had never celebrated it at home really. Not something his mother had really been into, and his dad was not going to argue with her over something like that. He remembered the cold Christmas mornings when he was a child. He remembered feeling alone and sad as he heard the children playing outside in the sunshine and he was here stuck with his mum and dad arguing over something so unimportant it would be forgotten in ten minutes.

All repeating – another family arguing because he was here. The Hotchners deserved a nice time. They didn't need some hanger on spoiling their fun. He picked up his wallet and put his shoes on. He thought about knocking on their door and telling them he was going down to the bar, but thought better of it. Spencer let out a sigh and walked down the corridor to the elevator at the end.

A small group of people stood there and looked over at the tall skinny guy with grey cords a white shirt and glasses. He kept his eyes looking away but was aware of being stared at. He turned and walked quickly back to his room. He slipped to the small bathroom and checked his face in the mirror. He was half expecting there to be toothpaste on his chin or something, but all he saw looking back at him was his own face. He sighed and took off the glasses and picked up this contact lenses case, and quickly popped one in each eye and then tucked his hair behind his ears.

Acutely aware of the raised voices he left his room again and walked head down back to the elevator. No one here this time. Which in some ways was good but in so many other ways terrifying. He didn't like the thought of getting in that box alone, so turning quickly he made for the stairs.

…………

The bar was busy so he stood and waited to be served. Ten minutes past when the barkeep walked up to him and smacked a whiskey down in front of him.

"Compliments of the gentleman." And he gestured down the bar to the minor god of everything standing at the end smiling. He picked up the drink and gestured a thank you and smiled back.

Reid stood feeling conspicuous at the bar alone whilst people around got merry and talked too loud and broke out into silly Christmas songs for no reason.

"You on your own?" A voice at his shoulder.

Reid turned to see the guy who had bought him the drink. "Oh yes." Nervous smile.

"I need to smoke, care to join me outside for a chat?"

Another nervous smile. Was he hitting on him? Reid's eyebrow twitched and his smile broadened. "I would love to." And he followed the tall long haired man out of the bar.

…………….

Haley was getting Jack ready for bed.

"Go on then, run to you little friend." She had stopped shouting now, but the venom in her voice couldn't be disguised.

Hotch sat back down on the bed. "He has no one to spend Christmas with."

"Correct. He has no one. It's for a reason. He is creepy."

"I don't find him creepy."

"Well that's obvious Aaron! Go on – go and get him. He will be sitting in his room fiddling his thumbs waiting for you."

Hotch picked up his cell and speed dialled Reid. He looked a bit puzzled that it went unanswered and then to answer-phone.

"Oh for goodness sake Aaron. He is a grown man. Stop treating him like a child."

He turned to watch his wife tucking Jack into the hotel cot. "I'm not treating him like a child."

"That is what I was afraid of." And she walked quickly to the bathroom calling back to him. "Go and find him then!"

Wonderful – throw the guilt. Hotch went to the mini bar and picked up a small bottle and returned to sitting on the bed.

……………..

Spencer pulled his phone out of his pocket when he heard it ring. He was following this Japanese god towards a small wooded area. "I don't like to force my habits on to other people" He had explained, and so they were walking slowly away from the hotel towards somewhere more private.

When his phone started to ring Reid's new 'friend' turned to him. "Don't answer it."

Spencer pulled the cell from his pocket and was about to open it when it was knocked from his hand. He looked up with a frown in time to meet the iron bar cracking him across the side of the head.

He fell silently into the leaves on the ground as someone else reached down and picked up the cell.

Spencer didn't feel them pick him up and carry him to a big silver SUV with the back open. He didn't feel the gag or blindfold being put on, and he didn't feel his hands being tied tightly behind his back or his feet being tied together with plasticuffs. Reid didn't feel the blankets being thrown over him nor did he hear the doors slamming and the sound of the engine being fired up.

………..

Spencer was dreaming.

He was with someone from his dreams. Tall dark brooding. Gentle and loving. The dream was suddenly broken by hard hands shaking him awake.

"Wake up.

He thought he might have opened his eyes but he couldn't really tell. He felt sick, headachy and disorientated and now realised he was bound, gagged and laying on a hard floor. He pulled against the plasticuffs holding his hands behind his back and wriggled his feet to attempt to break them, but he was held firmly.

Spencer felt hands lift him and sit him on a chair. A strap tied tightly around his chest to hold him in place, his hand and arms getting crushed behind him. Finally the blindfold was removed.

Reid looked up at the face of his former god who bent forwards and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"I expect you are wondering why you are here." He stepped back a bit and smiled at the big scared eyes. "I was asked to deliver a message."

A shake of the head and then another set of hands removing the gag. He licked his lips and opened his mouth to say something.

"Don't talk. You are not here to talk. You are here to listen." And he moved forwards again.

"You have an infatuation with someone and it needs to stop."

Reid looked puzzled. "What – what do you mean?" A slap across the mouth.

"Told you not to talk."

"But I" this time a closed fist in the mouth.

"You need to listen Dr Reid."

He nodded tasting blood.

"I have been asked to keep you here until it seems you really do understand what I mean."

"I –"

This time the person behind him delivered a punch to the back of his head. "Shut up you little tart."

………………

"For goodness sake Aaron don't sit there all night. Go have a drink."

"I_ am_ having a drink."

"I am tired. Leave me and Jack alone for a while. The sitter will be here soon."

"I can wait."

"I don't want you to. Leave me alone Aaron. I am fed up with looking at your face."

Hotch got up from the bed and walked towards the door, throwing the little bottle away in the bin as he past. "I will be alone in the bar." And he left the room.

Haley Hotchner waited until Aaron was gone and picked up her cell phone and made a call.

"Is it done?" a pause. "I don't want him to forget this Christmas message. Make sure he will never forget." Another pause. "That's fine with me. Just keep him there then." Listening. "Yes – yes I really don't care; if that's your thing and I know it's his." And she slid her phone shut.

………………..

**A/N: I am a bit annoyed because right at the last minute after lots of careful planning Floyd decided to go on vacation in Canada!! I hope he behaves.**


	2. Chapter 2 We Three Kings

We Three Kings

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Hotch stood at the bar and ordered a drink. He looked around to see if Spencer was down here yet, or if as Haley had said he would still be sitting in his room awaiting a call. But he had tried calling and got no reply.

He pulled his cell out and tried calling again and once again was puzzled when it went to answer-phone.

"He left." The barkeep was talking to him.

"Who left?"

"Your friend. The skinny kid. He left with someone."

Aaron did another quick scan of the bar area. "What do you mean? Who did he leave with?"

"Some guy. Don't look so worried. I am sure they will be back before the hour is up."

Hotch wasn't sure he liked what the barkeep was implying. "Do you know the name of the person left with? You have a description?"

The barkeep picked up a glass and started to wipe it with a cloth. "Sorry, I can't remember."

Hotch pulled out his ID and slapped it on the bar. "Who did he leave with?"

The glass and cloth were put down and the barkeep looked over at Aaron. "Local boy. Otikami. A bit of a hired thug but he left willingly. They had a drink together and left. Otikami brings in extra cash, you know? As an escort."

Hotch leaned across the bar and put his face very close the guy the other side of the bar. "Are you telling me that he left here with a rent boy?"

A nod. "That's exactly what I am telling you. As I say, probably back within the hour."

"How long have they been gone?" The barkeep looked down at his watch.

"Seems a while now. Your boy must be good fun."

…………

Haley sat on the bed and waited for the sitter to arrive. She felt, for once happy and relaxed. At least that creep was out of the way for the holiday season and hopefully out of her life forever.

She thought back to a month or so ago when she stood in the door way of her lounge and watched Reid. She watched her Aaron standing facing the roaring fire and she watched Reid walk up behind him and put his arms around him and kiss the back of his neck, and she didn't see her husband resist or pull away or even look surprised. It made her stomach tie in a knot of anger. She really hoped they were giving Reid what he deserved for trying to take her husband from her.

………….

They had removed his shoes and socks. They had dragged the chair over into a corner, and now the three of them stood and looked at him. They all seemed to be Japanese. They spoke to each other in a language familiar to them but not to Reid.

One of them approached Reid and un-strapped the bonds holding him on the chair. He then released his feet. Spencer let out a yelp of pain as He was hauled to his feet by his hair.

"Stand, and don't move or talk."

He looked down at his feet. He needed to rub life back into them as the pain of standing on feet which had been bound for so long brought tears to his eyes.

"You are moving. Stand still."

He looked up at them. "I I" He didn't manage to finish what he was going to stay as the staff head made contact with his solar plexus and he bent double gasping in pain.

"Otsu, he is moving again. We need to show him how to keep still."

He was pulled forwards still wheezing and trying to catch his breath.

"Boil the water."

Reid was forced down onto his knees. Hands still behind his back.

"You see this?" He was shown two marks on the floor. Reid's big eyes looked up at the man and he nodded slowly. "Good. I will untie your hands and you will put them on those marks on the floor and they will stay there, and you will not move. If you move or say anything then you will experience pain you never thought possible." Spencer stared up at the man unblinking. Give in to them or be hurt beyond all imagination? What would Gideon do? He tried to think quickly what to do. Stay alive. He needed to stay alive. As the pain of the blood returning to his hands hit him he bit on his bottom lip to try to keep the moans behind his teeth. Slowly he brought his painful throbbing hands forwards and placed them on the marks on the floor.

"Good. Remember, don't move. Look at the floor scum. I don't want to see your pathetic face."

This was giving him time to think. He knew what they were trying to do. Obedience – but he could sit like this for while and think and work out what he needed to do.

The three of them were now wearing hakama and gi with padded jackets over the top. The three of them were holding weapons. A knife. A staff. A hammer and thin bamboo slithers and an assortment of metal spikes with large flat heads.

"We need to test him. I think he will move."

Reid kept his head down. He strongly suspected they were now going to start kicking or using the staff on him. Keeping his head down will at least protect his face and there was not much he could to for his exposed neck. What they did do he wasn't expecting. He wasn't prepared for it. They didn't pour it on him, they poured the boiling water on the floor by his hands. He watched the steaming liquid creep slowly towards his hands.

Don't move – don't move.

But natural reflexes took over and as the water reached his fingers he snatched them up out of the way.

Spencer was expecting pain. What he got was laughter.

"Put your hands back down Reid. Put them back where we told you to put them. I see you need to learn obedience. You need to learn to be told what to do, or you will just go straight back to your old slutty ways."

"But I!" Again his words cut off.

"Otsu, did you hear it talk?"

"Yes Otikami San, I did."

"Andanatchi, did you also hear it talk."

"I heard the sound of an animal Otikami San, was that coming from him?"

The leader who seemed to be called Otikami moved forwards and pushed down on the back of Reid's head, "Hands back on the floor now or I break this pretty neck."

Slowly Reid put his hands back down on the wooden floor. The water still felt hot, but no longer boiling. He felt Otikami's hand move down to his neck and tighten. "Andanatchi, when you are ready." He hissed into Spencer's ear. He didn't see what was going to happen until it was too late to try to defend against it. A foot stamped down on his left hand and the spike was hammered through his right hand and into the floor. As he started to scream the foot moved off his hand and a spike was placed on his pale skin.

"Shut up or I do it slowly." Andanatchi whispered but Spencer was unable to keep back the howl of pain. He watched in horror as the other spike was smashed down through the bones in the back of his hand and into to floor boards they were resting on.

"I think he will keep them on the floor now." The voice of Otikami.

Reid could see they grey fuzzy vision creeping in, and as he cried and moaned in agony he saw Andanatchi move around behind him as the hand let go of his neck.

"No – no please don't." Not much more than a painful wail as he felt hands holding onto his ankles. "Please – don't."

He heard the smack of hammer on metal, and he heard the sound of the spike going through flesh and bone and then wood, but his brain refused to accept what they had just done and as the darkness began to creep over his eyes he felt something being put under him to lay across. He wasn't awake when they slammed the spike into the sole of his other foot.

………………..

Hotch felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around smiling expecting it to be Spencer.

"Haley."

"Who were you expecting?" And she flashed him her lovely smile.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3 Silent Night

Silent Night

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Aaron smiled at his wife, but he couldn't help thinking something was wrong. She had gone from being in a dreadful mood to being cheerful. Yes she had mood swings, and yes she was bitchy, but they didn't usually pass this quickly.

"Have you spoken to Spencer?"

The smile dropped from her face and the familiar scowl returned. "And why the hell would I want to talk to him? What are you on Aaron? How many of those have you had?" Her voice was raised looking at his glass.

"I was asking. Have you said something to him?" He looked concerned.

"Aaron, what would I ever have to say to him?" Hissing.

"I am wondering the same thing Haley. He has no one. I wanted him to have one good family vacation. I wanted to show him how good it can be."

Haley raised her finger and jabbed Aaron in the chest. With each word a harder prod. "He – is – not – family!" Folded arms. "I am your family – Jack is your family. He isn't. Can we just sit down and relax before he gets here and reminds me why I am so annoyed with you?"

Aaron walked off without another word and sat at a space at a small table. He sat so he could see the door. He wanted to know when Spencer got back from wherever it was he had gone. He as an FBI agent. What the hell was he doing wandering off with rent boys?

And someone was singing 'Jingle Bells' and the people on the table next to him were laughing at some joke, and on the big screen TV they were showing a very old Christmas Tom and Jerry. The girls collecting the glasses all had santa hats on and tinsel around their necks. It was a happy place to be. A lovely warm smell wafting around the room and he sat in silence with Haley, looking at the door and wishing Spencer would come back.

……………..

At first he couldn't remember where he was. His face tickled and he tried to move his hand to move the bit of hair causing the problem, and then he remembered. He looked cautiously at his hands out in front of him. There was a huge spike through each of them. Carefully he tried to move his fingers but the pain was too much. He needed to keep them still. Spencer then tried to move his feet. They too spiked to the floor through the bottoms of his feet. They too were too painful to move.

Slowly turning his head he looked over and saw three men looking back at him. One of them took a step forwards and crouched down next to his victim.

"Awake at last. I hope you slept well. I hope you haven't forgotten why you are here, and what you are meant to be learning."

Hot angry tears slid down Spencer's face.

"Let me go." Not much more than a sigh.

"Otsu, did he make the mistake of talking again?"

"Yes Otikami San, I believe he did."

"Otsu, would you like to introduce our noisy guest to your knife?"

Reid watched the shorter of the men give a slight bow and pull a very sharp looking knife out of his belt. "I would be delighted." He stood slightly to the side of Spencer and grabbed his hair pulling his head back. The knife was placed gently on his exposed neck. "Are you going to bitch and complain again? Are you going to use your filthy mouth to try to beg your way out of this? Or are you going to remember why you are here? You will remember every time you look at your hands and your feet to keep them to yourself." He made a small cut in Spencer's neck then let his head back down again. "You will keep your head down and you will keep your dirty mouth shut."

Spencer stayed silent. He wanted to shout in protest when the support he was laying across was moved and he had to take the weight on his forearms and knees again. He had the horrible image of the skin splitting and tearing away from the spikes. He tried to keep still but he was shaking. His full concentration was on his hands and feet. Everything else he blocked. Blocked out until he felt someone moving behind him.

"It's just the two of us for a short while. I sent the others away to rest. I want to play."

Spencer stayed silent and looked at his hands.

"You don't mind playing do you?"

Spencer stayed silent and concentrated on a crack in the floor boards. He didn't want to think about what was happening. He didn't want to make a noise. He couldn't struggle. He was pinned like a butterfly.

Spencer moaned slightly as Otikami leaned over him from behind and ran his hot tongue over the back of Reid's neck and touched him in places he found unbearably pleasurable. Taki Otikami laughed softly and kissed and licked at his captive who unwillingly groaned in response.

………………….

It was Christmas morning. Haley was sitting on the floor of the hotel room playing and laughing with Jack. She looked happy and relaxed. Hotch sat and looked at the cell phone. He needed to check up on Reid. He hadn't seen him come back last night. Yes he was aware that Spencer was a grown man, but he was special, and Aaron worried about him.

"Haley, I need to see if there is a paper down stairs. I won't be long."

Before she could say anything he was out of the door, and walking to the room next door. He knocked gently. No answer. "Reid its Hotch." He waited. Nothing.

He flipped open his cell and called him. Answer phone. Aaron walked quickly down to the bar area to see if the barkeep from the night before was there. He spotted him changing some bottles of spirits.

"Excuse me. Do you know if my friend came back again last night?"

Barkeep looked over at him. "Not that I saw. He didn't come home?" Hotch shook his head and looked worried.

"Do you have an address for him?"

"You are kidding me?"

Hotch slammed his fist down on the bar. "A location. Now."

"There are a couple of places I know of. He has a few places. I don't know all of them and sometimes he uses abandoned buildings."

"Uses? For what?"

"I told you. He is a hired thug. If your friend didn't come home, then he is in a world of shit."

"Write down all the addresses you know. NOW!" Aaron turned and ran back to his room.

…………….

Haley was still sitting with Jack when Hotch came hurtling back into the room. She watched with slitty eyes as Hotch grabbed his guns.

"Where are you going?" She grabbed Jack and stood up.

Hotch turned to look at Haley. "Where is he? You know where he is."

"What! You are insane!"

Hotch took Haley by the arm. "I don't want to believe you have done something Haley. Please tell me you are not involved."

She stood with her tight angry mouth and hard eyes. "How dare you." A spiteful voice.

Aaron left the room with Haley behind him holding tightly onto Jack. As they marched down the corridor the sitter came out of her room.

"Merry Christmas Mrs Hotchner." And a big happy smile.

Haley looked at the young girl. "Sophie, can you take Jack for half an hour?"

"I would love to!" and Jack left her warm hugging arms and went to the young girl who was grinning and big chocolaty grin at the toddler.

Haley Hotchner chased after her husband.

"Aaron don't you go looking for him!"

Ignored.

"Aaron! Please come back."

But she was following him through the bar now. She watched him grab a bit of paper off the bar and walk out towards the car.

"Please stop." But she was opening the car door and getting in the passenger seat. "Please Aaron. Don't do this."

Hotch put the paper on the dash board and started the engine. "Do what Haley? Tell me please? One of my agents goes missing and you are asking me to ignore it? You know I can't. So just tell me where he is."

She snatched up the paper and looked at the addresses. "What makes you so sure it has something to do with me?" Screwing up the paper and throwing it out of the window.

"I am a profiler Haley. I know. I know when you are not telling me the truth." He stopped the car.

"You don't want me to find him. Why not? What have you done Haley?"

She rattled off an address "But they are just keeping him there Aaron. I needed time just us."

"You have no idea what you have done Haley. Directions please."

Haley told her husband where to go.

…………

Reid heard a voice.

"You shouldn't be doing that Taki. That was the one thing she said not to do."

Spencer kept his head down sobbing silently.

"He's enjoying it and I don't intend handing him back. I thought I might keep this one."

The other two men nodded and smiled. "I will get those spikes out."

Taki moved back away from Reid and smiled as the screams echoed around the empty house. Andanatchi used a crow bar to pull the spikes out then flipped Reid over onto his back and stood looking down at him. The pain had at least taken Reid to that dark place where he was on his own. "He is pretty. I am glad we are keeping him." He bent down and held onto Reid's wrists and started to drag him out into the crisp Christmas morning. He was bound and gagged and put in the back of the car again.

Taki Otikami and Andanatchi got in the car and nodded to Otsu. "I will finish up here." He walked into the tree line and watched the silver SUV drive off towards the town.

Otsu pulled his knife out of his belt again and rolled up his gi sleeves to reveal a band of small deadly blades. He stood one foot slightly in front of the other – ready and listened.

He waited for about an hour before he heard the sounds of an approaching car. He stood still and silent and watched the car pull up and a tall dark haired man get out of the car. He still didn't move anything but his eyes. He waited. He was good at waiting. He watched Hotch walk over to the building they had been using and shout in alarm at the smears of blood, and the bloodied spikes still laying on the floor. He permitted himself a grin. His eyes flicked back to the car and he watched Haley open the door and get out. She looked worried.

"Aaron – what is it?"

A tiny sound. So small it could have been her imagination, but a sound off to her side. Otsu watched her turn towards him. He watched her eyes widen and he watched her fall back to the ground with a small blade imbedded in her eye-socket. She never made a sound.

"Merry Christmas bitch." He whispered and disappeared into the forest behind him.

…………….


	4. Chapter 4 How This Works

How This Works.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine. All original characters are.

**A/N: Word just in. Floyd is having fun in Canada.**

_Horrible experiences lead us to wonder whether the person who experiences them might not be something horrible. _- _Friedrich Nietzsche_

He couldn't stand. He couldn't use his hands. He just knelt on the floor and kept his head down. If he moved they hit him. If he made a sound they hit him. He knew he had to stay alive. The only way to survive this was to keep his head down and do as he was told.

The room was a five foot square cell. There was a metal grid on the floor and here is where he must stay. His legs were numb now. Reid had no idea how long he had been here, but he knew now resisting was pointless.

Spencer looked at the infected holes in the backs of his hands. They had stitched and put some vile smelling liquid over them but he couldn't move his fingers. He couldn't move his toes. He knelt in silence. He knelt in pain. He knelt in fear. He wanted to sit and wrap his painful hands around him. He wanted to curl up on the floor and nurse his body, but he had to stay still. Still and silent.

He was wearing a small cotton jacket which tied up down the front and a sarong type thing on his bottom half. Both unbleached and rough against his skin. His neck hurt - at some point someone had come in and put a thick leather collar around it. The light was bright at least. Yes at least he wasn't in the dark. That was something he needed to think about and keep in his mind. It could be worse. It could be dark as well.

When the door in front of him opened he lifted his head slightly to see who it was. This slight movement was a mistake but he didn't it without thinking. It was a natural reaction. He couldn't stop it from happening.

The staff hit him hard across the face before he had time to put his head back down again. He fell sideways onto the floor and lay still not knowing if he should try to get up again or keep still. The blood flow back into his legs caused tears of pain to race down his cheeks. Spencer took the opportunity to hold his hands close to his chest trying to protect them.

"Get up." It was Otikami. "On your knees. White trash."

Reid slowly moved back onto the grill and knelt with his head down watching the blood from his nose and mouth drip on to the metal and slide through into the darkness below.

"You have to eat." A bowl of food was placed on the floor in front of him. A dish of grey looking rice. "Eat."

He stayed still and looked down at the revolting mix in front of him.

"I told you to eat."

Slowly Spencer moved a hand to pick up some of the rice. He didn't think he would be able to though his fingers were swollen and stiff.

"With your dirty mouth trash boy. Hands stay still." And Reid felt his head being pushed down towards the food and this was the last straw. He wouldn't be treated like a dog. Yes he needed to stay alive but he wasn't going to let this happen.

"No." And he moved his head aside.

For a moment nothing happened. He started to move off the grill trying not to put pressure on his hands. He wanted to curl up in the corner and protect his bruised body from what he knew was going to happen. He wasn't expecting the hands. He wasn't expecting something comforting. Spencer tried to pull away from the prying hands.

"Still. Keep still."

"Please don't - please." A small voice through broken lips.

"Hush worm and keep still." Reid tried to crawl forwards, but Otikami grabbed the collar. "Still or do I need to get Andanatchi to nail you to the floor again?"

Spencer curled up tighter trying to keep the hands away from him. He let out a soft moan as he was pulled back onto his hands and knees.

"I can keep you safe, or I can make your life miserable. You decide – you decide now. Be nice and I can help you."

Reid let out a whimper as the hands moved to his shoulders and pulled him back – holding him close and tight.

"Please – don't." Tears falling hot down his cheeks.

Spencer could feel the tickle of hair as his thin jacket was pushed up out of the way, and then hot breath on his back. He let out an involuntary shudder.

"I can tell Aaron. I can tell him you are alright. Would you like me to contact Aaron for you?"

Another shudder and a whisper. "Yes."

"Do you want me to tell him anything special? You know so he knows the message is from you?"

A slow careful nod "Yes"

"Well this is a good start. I will deliver a message for you. You will keep me entertained. How does that sound?"

……………

They stood and looked blankly at the wall, no one knowing what to say. Hotch had insisted in coming into work, but it was moot really. The BAU had been pulled so far off he case that they couldn't even get sniff at what was happening. With Reid missing and Hotch unable to work, and still no replacement for Gideon they were three men down, and Organised Crime had taken over the case.

They had gone back and talked to the barkeep but he had already told them all he knew, which in the end amounted to nothing as all the addresses he had given them were fake. They knew something bad had happened. The closest the crime scene unit could come to was that Reid had somehow been nailed down to the floor with the spikes, but how – they were unsure - still working on it. The amount of blood though, they thought was non fatal.

Morgan, Prentiss and JJ just stood and stared at the clock on the wall. How long had he been missing now? They had heard nothing. No ransom. No demands of any kind. No message to taunt. Just a void where Spencer had once been and as the days went and still nothing the hope seemed to be getting weaker.

JJ had no tears left, her eyes red and swollen from the grief she was feeling for Aaron and his loss, and from the pure panic her heart felt every time she noticed Spencer's empty desk.

Prentiss wanted to go and ask questions. More questions, but she didn't know who to ask. Organised Crime had tugged the rug from under her feet and she was left helpless. She had cried tears of anger and of pity for Aaron and she had paced her apartment until she had blisters trying to get the image of Spencer spiked to a floor out of her mind. Different scenarios going over in her mind, each one more horrific than the next.

Morgan had sobbed openly. He had held Aaron and they had cried together. They cried for Haley and they sobbed for Reid. Frustration boiling over as he slammed doors and kicked objects out of his way. They had all agreed to go to the firing range and brush up on things that evening. It would help get rid of some of the pent up grief they were all feeling.

Aaron sat. Aaron didn't do anything but sit. Why had Haley done this? What on earth had made her do such a thing? Now he had lost both of them. Both of his great loves gone in a second.

They turned their heads as one when the scream came from behind the door Garcia had been hiding behind. When they heard a thump and crash they all started to run.

……………….

They crowded around the computer screen Garcia was sitting looking at.

"I got an email. It is from – I don't know who it is from!" fingers flicking over the keys. "A web mail address. It had Reid's name in the subject line." She looked over her shoulder. "We need Hotch. The message is for Hotch."

A hand on her shoulder. Morgan's comforting touch. "I don't think he is in a fit state for this Garcia."

"Derek, please, go and get Hotch."

They stood in Garcia's bunker fidgeting until Hotch – looking red eyed and crumpled arrived. She gave Aaron a worried look and opened the file. It was a very short clip of someone kneeling in a room. Head down hands out slightly in front of him. They could see the scabs – the holes in the backs of the hands. They knew that hair. They knew who that was without having to see a face. It panned in on an area between the battered hands – blood dripping and falling through a grill of some kind. They stood and listened.

'_I have your boy Aaron. He wants you to know he is alright and to tell you he is sorry, and he hopes you understand'_

…………………..

* * *


	5. Chapter 5 Movie Star

Movie Star

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine. All original characters are.

_No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight of the soul. - __Ingrid Bergman._

"Garcia – I want that torn apart. I need you to find out where that message was sent from. I need to be one hundred percent certain that is who it appears to be. I need you to find out where the hell he is, and whose voice that is – though I suspect I already know that answer."

He spun and left the room. Hot angry tears prickling behind his eyes. All he had wanted was to show Reid some fun at Christmas. This was not meant to happen. Haley was not meant to be dead, this was all wrong. Aaron slammed his office door behind him and locked it. He leaned on the door and put his head in his hands and sobbed.

………….

Spencer was left to sleep. They left the bowl of rice and a bowl of water with strict instructions not to use his hands. He lay and looked at it. He needed to at least drink. He could manage that. He could sip it from the rim and that is ok. That isn't being like an animal. He shuffled slowly forwards. He had pains shooting up his arms and through his feet as each movement reminded him of what had happened. He sipped carefully from the edge of the bowl. The water was stale and bitter but it quenched his thirst. The thought of crawling back to the corner was too much, so he lay on the floor next to the water and rice and closed his eyes in the bright white light he was being kept in.

He had no idea how long he had been curled up on the hard floor when Taki Otikami came in and kicked him gently awake. Spencer opened his eyes to see a not very happy looking Japanese face looking down at him.

"Show me your hands."

Reid slowly uncurled his arms from around him and held out his throbbing hands and fingers to be inspected. Otikami didn't touch them. He just looked and frowned.

"On your back, now quickly."

Reid rolled over slowly and was going to try to pull his arms around him again not knowing what he had planned this time. Quick nimble fingers pulled at the ties holding the small jacket together at the front.

"Take it off."

Slowly and carefully, wincing in pain he sat up slightly and let the jacket fall off his arms. He lay back down again with big eyes watching Otikami, ready to defend himself.

"Kneel."

Again slowly and carefully he did as he was told. This way he wasn't getting hit, this way he was letting his body heal a bit more. This way he had time to form a plan. This way there was a chance of rescue - of Aaron or Floyd finding him. He just had to stay alive until then. He felt the careful almost gentle hands on his neck.

"Just do what they ask and it will be alright. Don't resist. You must show obedience at all times. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Hardly audible.

"Keep your head down – look at no body unless you are told to. Follow me."

Spencer glanced up to see Otikami leave the small cramped room with a chain in his hand going back to the collar around his neck. He felt a sudden jerk and moved slowly – painfully – forwards once and then stopped.

"No." He wasn't going to be taken down the corridor like a dog on a leash. He wasn't going to do this.

He saw the feet returning to him. "I will drag you down the corridor if I need to. You will come with me. You will keep your mouth shut. I am trying to help you here. Just do it."

Shaking of the head. "I won't do it. I won't be treated like an animal."

Reid was still on his knees, his forearms resting on the floor. "You will do it. You will. If I have to tie you up like a pig and drag you – it will happen and you will do it. Now crawl."

"No."

Otikami let out a sigh. "I was trying to help you. I delivered your message. You owe me or the next message will not be as pleasing for them to see." He pulled again on the chain.

Reid moved his hands up and slowly with tears of pain running down his face wrapped his fingers around the chain. "No. I won't do it."

He felt the chain loosen again and could see the sandaled feet again. A hand in his hair pulling his head up so their eyes met. "They will kill you if you don't obey. There are plenty more pretty white trash boys where you came from. You are not special. You are not unique. You are replaceable. Any bit of street scum can replace you Spencer. You need to understand that. You need to know that you are only here because the three of us wanted to keep you. You would have died back there nailed to the floor. Remember that. Remember that you are a bit of a problem for these people. Remember that Spencer. Any sign that you are resisting and they will end the problem with your head being taken from your shoulders, and Aaron Hotchner will be getting a lovely surprise in the mail – or will they post your body parts to the lovely Garcia? Think about it. When you are ready Mr FBI start to crawl."

Reid looked him in his dark almond shaped eyes. "You can't intimidate me Taki." He caught movement at the door and saw Andanatchi bend down to look at him in the face.

"He causing problems Taki San? I will fix it for you."

The hands left his hair and he looked down at the floor. His hands locked around the chain

"It won't be a problem for much longer. Maybe a slight change of plan is needed."

Firstly the pain in his hands as the chain was suddenly pulled again. He started to fall forwards trying to put his arms down to stop the fall, but he was now being dragged. The collar cutting into his neck.

Reid yelped and shouted out in pain as he was dragged by the chain and collar out of the room and down a small dark corridor. He started to kick out with his feet in an attempt to get purchase on something to slow the momentum, but pain was too much. He could see they greyness slipping across his vision as the collar cut off his air supply and his broken hands and feet bled and seeped puss. By the time they reached the destination the darkness had clouded his mind and he had stopped struggling.

In the back of his mind he could feel hands touching him. He was laying on his back and in a dream he could feel someone straddle him and touch his chest. There seemed to be no pain. There never was in his dreams. Just the gentle hands moving over him and feeling safe but it was a dream. He knew is this was Floyd then the pain would start soon. But just for now. For his minute he could lay here half dreaming and wish.

He tried to move his arms, and then realised he was restrained. Not a totally new experience but this was beginning to feel wrong. He tried to get his brain to wake up. He felt groggy and drugged. His hands tied to something above his head. His feet tied to something to keep his legs still, and someone was on him and touching and – oh god someone was sucking at the flesh around his jawline.

And now another set of hands moving over his legs and up towards his hips. His dream became confused. Hair tickling was tickling him and moaning sounds. His moaning and whimpers getting louder. "Floyd?" he muttered trying to pull his brain out of the numbing drugs and back to reality.

Spencer opened his eyes to see a set of almond eyes looking back. A smile full of teeth and lips with lipstick. A girl? She didn't look much more than fourteen.

"Get off me!" and he was writhing trying to dislodge this child from him. "Get her off me!" Shouting and feeling sick. Feeling the hands and the mouth on him from somewhere and looking at the smiling face and feeling another set of hands running slowly down his face and he had a look of horror and revulsion on his face.

"CUT!"

And they slid away from him. Hardly old enough to be classed as adults. Spencer looked over and saw the cameras and the people watching and nodding and smiling.

Spencer closed his eyes tight and tried to slip back into the dream he had been having. Where he was safe. Where he felt loved. But the voice at his shoulder wouldn't let him yet.

"I wonder how Aaron will feel when he gets this little gem delivered. Do you have a special message for him – you know, so he knows it is a gift from you?"

………………

* * *


	6. Chapter 6 Celluloid Dreams

Celluloid Dreams.

_Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.__ - __William Dement_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

"There is nothing sir." Garcia was talking to Hotch in his office. "I have looked at this in everyway I can. There is nothing on this that they didn't intend to let us see. That is definitely Reid." She paused. "It's not possible to tell where this done sir. There is no evidence of any kind. It could be anywhere." Pen's eyes were swollen and red. "I have looked at this so many times. I'm sorry."

Hotch looked up at the techie standing in front of his desk. "Thank you Garcia. You are sure it is Reid?"

"That was the only thing I could get positive results back on. Oh and the voice. There is an accent there, probably American Japanese."

"Find me everything you can on Taki Otikami. This isn't the first time he has done something like this. His name is on record somewhere for something."

Garcia nodded and walked quickly from Hotch's office and closed the door quietly behind her.

Aaron picked up the phone and dialled.

"It's Hotchner. I was wondering if you can give me fingerprint results."

………………

He felt them undo the bindings and turn him over and he heard voices, but his mind was trying to drag him back down to darkness again to protect him from what was happening.

"His wounds are infected. There is not point in keeping him."

"I can care for the wounds; it isn't as bad as it appears."

"He cannot stand. His feet are broken."

"We can tie him to stand. His face is perfect."

Someone was putting fingers under Reid's chin and turning him to face. "He has a good profile too. Very well, get him fixed. If those injuries get any worse I want him gone. Do you understand me Otikami? I don't want you getting infatuated by another boy."

The fingers went and Reid felt the collar being replaced around his neck and a voice hissing in his ear. "You need to try to move. You need to show them you are of use or they will remove your head from its shoulders. Turn over and get up. I don't care if your feet are broken. I can't help you if you don't get up."

Spencer rolled back onto his front and slowly and carefully pulled himself up to his knees. The thought of putting any pressure on his feet though was unthinkable. That was until he saw Otikami's eye widen and a hand started pulling upwards on his collar from behind.

"Otsu, leave him."

"Otikami San, I just want to see if he can stand."

Reid tried to put his feet down to take the weight off the collar and his neck. Immeasurable agony – his hands still oozing and weeping moved forwards and held onto Otikami's shoulders, redistributing the weight and the pain. He looked up and met Taki Otikami's eyes.

He felt arms pull him close and take the weight off his feet.

"I never understand you Otikami. Why you hurt them almost to the point of death, and only then find them desirable. You need to find yourself a boy who is whole. This one will die like all the others. You are a fool Otikami. You will get us caught, and then your head will be on a spike next to his." Otsu released the collar.

……………

His next memory was waking up in his small cell on his back with someone tending his wounds. He carefully opened his eyes and saw Taki Otikami kneeling next to him. He was nursing Reid's hand in his lap and rocking slowly back and forth.

"Hey."

Otikami looked at Reid's face.

"They are healing. I know it doesn't feel like it."

Reid just looked at the strange man and nodded slightly.

"I was trying to help."

"By nailing me to the floor?"

"That was Andanatchi. He would have done move than hands and feet if I hadn't been there to restrain him."

"Why me?"

"We were paid good money."

"Paid? Someone paid you to do this to me?" A deep frown crossed his face. He had assumed it was just a random event. The fact that someone chose him and paid for this to be done changed everything.

"It is alright. She won't be able to do anything again. Otsu saw to it for you. Well for us. No witnesses. Otsu has his own rules."

"She?" He winced as Taki started to wrap a dressing around his hand.

"Haley Hotchner."

"You killed Haley?" He watched the hands gently bandage his broken ones.

"Otsu killed Haley. I rescued you from him but he will want you."

"You were in charge. You gave the orders. You wanted this. You could have just let me go. It was you who lured me out of the hotel. Not Otsu or Andanatchi. It was you."

"Why do you constantly argue with me? I am trying to help you."

"I am not arguing, I am stating facts." He watched as Otikami moved down towards his feet and pour a vile smelling liquid over them. "What is that?"

Otikami looked up at Reid. "It is called arguing Spencer. This is antiseptic. It will help the skin heal."

"And the bones? How are they meant to heal?"

"You see, arguing with me again. No wonder your friend went away for the season."

He pulled his feet up closer to his body and away from Otikami. "You know an awful lot about my personal life."

"She gave us a lot of information. I was surprised when I saw you though. I was not expecting someone so good looking. The picture she gave us wasn't very flattering." He started to pull Spencer's feet back to where he could get to them.

"Leave them." Spencer sat up and looked down at Otikami fiddling with dressings.

He looked up and met Reid's eyes. "I can't. You need to be able to walk." Moving closely so his breath was hot on Spencer's ear. "I need to get you out of here. I can't do that if you can't walk." A mouth moving over Reid's neck. "I need you – I need you away from here."

"Why bring me here just to help me get away?"

"I had my orders. I am just a small fish in a big sea of sharks Spencer. I do as I am ordered."

"He will come and get you, and he will destroy you all. You do realise that don't you?" He was now letting Taki put dressings on his feet.

"He won't. He isn't coming for you."

"Why do I always attract the sadistic psychopath?"

Otikami laughed and moved forwards to brush his lips against Spencer's. "I am not a psychopath."

Spencer shook his head. "They all say that." Pushing Taki gently away from him. "So what is your plan? How will you get me out of here?

…………………

They sat and looked at the footage they had been sent. Well not sent the footage so much as a url to watch a clip from a porn movie. Someone tied to the floor partially clothed – they didn't want to look. They didn't want to accept the expression on the face of the person they were looking at. They didn't want to believe he was enjoying this but his face betrayed him.

JJ sat with her eyes glued to the scene. Unbelieving big blue eyes unable to tear themselves away from what she was seeing. "He must be drugged." she finally muttered.

Prentiss was sitting with her mouth slightly open. "I don't think he can understand what is happening there."

Morgan ran his hands over his head. "The sons of bitches – why him. Why pick on Reid?"

Garcia made a sobbing sound and left the room.

Hotch picked up a pile of photographs they had also had delivered. He passed them over to JJ. "Take those to Garcia. Those rats are eating 'something' I need to be sure that it isn't Reid. We need to keep positive. He is obviously drugged there. Stay with it team. I know we have been pulled off the case, and I am aware that I am not thinking straight. I need you to step up to the line and get this sorted and get Reid back to us. I don't know how much of that sort of treatment he can take.

………………….

Reid was given water to drink. Again it was rank and bitter, but it was all there was. Taki tried to get him to eat some of the grey rice.

"I don't feel hungry. I just need to sleep."

So he was left in the room with the lights too bright and he curled up with his bandaged hands and feet. His knees drawn up tightly to his chest and his head down to try to cut out some of the brightness.

He dreamed that he was tied up again in the room with the cameras, only this time it wasn't the girls crawling over him and touching him, it was Floyd and Taki. He moaned and whimpered in his sleep and when the dream was over and he was still in a deep sleep he cried quiet tears.

……………..

* * *


	7. Chapter 7 Healing

Healing

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

The finger prints came back disappointing. The only positive thing was that it told them there had been three assailants. The crow bar and spikes had clear but unknown fingerprints on them. The knife which had killed Haley had a separate set on it. The third set had come from a metal ring and an iron bar. These did have owners. Taki Otikami. The person Reid had walked off with. The yakuza rent boy. What the hell had Reid been thinking? More to the point what the hell had Haley been thinking!

Aaron sat at his desk in the dark with his door locked. Sometimes he got up and lay on the couch and tried to sleep, but the images of Haley and Reid were firing through his mind constantly. Why did she do that? How could they recover Reid? Had Organised Crime come up with anything? Was Reid still in the country even? He knew that these people shipped captives out to all over the world. They were nothing more than goods to be traded. The survival rate was low but someone pretty like Reid might be kept back. Kept for someone special so there was the chance he was still in the country.

These thoughts going back and forth continuously never letting his mind relax. He needed to cry for Haley, but didn't seem to be able to. He needed to hold Jack and feel the warmth from the child and cry, but he couldn't do that either. He needed to wrap his arms around Spencer and tell him it was all going to be alright, and let him cry on his shoulder, but no – that was being denied him also. Aaron just wanted to scream and do something, but they weren't even on the case. His hands tied as tightly as Reid's.

………………

He was awoken by the pulling on the collar and shouting. He tried to stop it, but he was being dragged across the floor.

"Otsu no!"

Someone was shouting. He didn't think it was him. It sounded like Taki.

"I want to play. It's not yours." A sharp voice.

"He is healing. Let him heal. Then we can play."

"Get out of my face freak."

And he couldn't breathe where the collar was cutting off his air, and he was feeling dizzy where it was slowly strangling him.

"You will kill him."

"You can find another one. There are plenty. Go ask Matahatchi. He has spares."

And as things started to go grey and he was dragged out into the corridor he heard the sound of fist on flesh, and the chain went limp. Reid gasped for breath and tried to crawl back into the relative safety of the cell, but Otsu still had hold of him.

"Get back here trash. I need you for target practice." And the pressure was around his neck again as he crawled to his hands and knees and looked over at Taki sliding down the wall a trickle of blood coming from his nose.

Spencer tried to keep up with Otsu. He didn't trust that if he didn't the man wouldn't just kill him. This was the person who killed Haley. This was all her fault. What did she do this for? Why did she hate him so much? He was brought out of his thoughts but a tug on the chain.

"Stand up." Pulling harder.

"I I can't."

Otsu crouched down in front of him. "You still haven't learned not to talk?"

"What has Otikami been doing with you? Silly question! I know exactly what that pervert has been doing with you."

Reid looked up into the eyes of his new tormentor and received a slap in the mouth.

"You keep your mouth shut and your head down. Stand up."

Reid stayed kneeling on the floor with his head down. He really didn't think he would be able to stand. Slowly he brought a leg up from kneeling and put his foot on the floor. He wanted to hold onto something but there was nothing, not to mention that his hands were strapped up and pretty much useless. As he put pressure on his foot and the searing pain shot up his leg he felt the collar being pulled upwards again to force him to stand. He moaned in pain, but felt hands wrapping around him from behind and pulling him close taking the weight for him.

"Otsu this is not necessary. Leave him to heal."

"I would get more fun amputating." He pulled Reid's left hand out to look at and inspected the bandages. "I will take it off at the wrist." And a knife came out of his belt and rested gently on Reid's wrist. "Just here. Stand or lose your hand white trash boy."

Reid was twisting his arm trying not to antagonise by saying what he wanted to say. Trying to stay silent. He could feel Taki dragging him backwards, but Otsu still had a tight grip on his hand, digging his fingers into the wounds.

"Let go of him Otikami or your boyfriend loses a hand. Now."

"Please don't." Spencer spoke before he could stop himself and the world went black.

…………….

"Sir." Garcia stood with Morgan at the now open door way to Hotch's office. "You asked me to tell you if I could get any information."

Hotch had been sitting staring into space listening in his mind to the screams of the people he loved and had lost. "Garcia, Morgan, come in – what have you got for me?"

"Taki Otikami. Small time thug. Came legally to the country with his family when he was a teenager. His parents since died, and he was taken under the wing of someone in Vegas. Running drugs and getting tourists into the correct casinos. Small time porn involvement, but he has never done any time."

Hotch nodded. "Anything on the others?"

Garcia shook her head. "Nothing sir. I am still looking."

Hotch looked over at a photo of Haley on his desk and closed his eyes. "Thank you Garcia."

Derek and Pen left quickly and closed the door. "I wish there was more I could give him Derek." She wiped angrily at a tear running down her face and walked back to her bunker.

Hotch picked up the picture of Haley and ran his finger over her face. "Why?" he whispered and threw the picture across the room.

……………..

When light began to seep through his consciousness again he realised a few things. He was on the floor, he had his hands restrained behind him, he was in a metal cage, and there was a small crowd of people watching. Spencer moaned slightly and tried to sit up. He saw a few faces he recognised, but Taki didn't seem to be there. Otsu was, but it was Andanatchi who was approaching the cage and crouching down to look at Reid.

"I still think I should have castrated you when I had the chance." A big white toothed smile. "But now I have something else to help you learn. Get on your kneel like the animal you are dirty white pervert trash."

Reid's stomach twisted with a knot of fear. He knelt on the floor of the cage with his hands behind his back and his head down. He could feel hot tears trying to escape from behind his eyes.

"Who is Floyd?" Andanatchi asked.

"What?" and Spencer looked up.

At first he didn't realise what had happened. Every nerve ending in his body suddenly exploded in pain. He fell forwards onto his face yelling out in pain, smacking the side of his head onto the bottom of the cage and adding to the pain. As he lay there he realised they had electrocuted him. He could feel his limbs twitching and he was drooling and whimpering.

"Get up." Andanatchi again. "Get up or I will do it again."

Slowly Reid got back to his knees. He kept his head down _'don't talk don't talk don't talk' _

"So who is Floyd? You talk about him in your sleep. I am curious." Keep your head down and don't talk. "Answer me."

"A f f friend."

And again the pain as the electricity coursed through his body and he fell twitching to the floor of the cage once more.

"You have to learn not to talk. Whatever I say, don't talk." Reid could see him beckon over someone. It was Otsu and he was pushing Otikami in front of him. "If you talk to me I will electrocute you. If you refuse to answer my questions Otsu will start cutting your friend. You have to decide what to do."

Reid got back to kneeling but looked into Otikami's eyes.

"So scum, tell me, who did you say Floyd was?"

……………


	8. Chapter 8 Call

Call

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Spencer knelt in his cage and looked up at Otikami. He looked back slowly shaking his head as small trickle of blood running from his nose.

"He won't talk to you." Taki muttered.

Otsu looked over at Reid and then back to Taki.

"Who is Floyd?" He repeated. "One more chance as you are new to this. Who is Floyd."

Spencer watched the knife begin to dig in to Otikami's skin. "A friend. Floyd is a friend."

He put his head down and closed his eyes. The pain somehow didn't feel so bad this time. Either a smaller shock or he was getting used to it. He lay on the floor and glanced up at Taki standing blanked faced back at him.

"Get up off the floor trash boy. Tell me more about Floyd."

Spencer stayed on the floor but answered the questions. "I told you he is a friend. There is nothing more to say."

Taki didn't scream as the knife dug into his leg, he just made a strange whimpering sound.

"And I told you to get up off the floor and kneel. Why are you looking at me?" I told you to keep your dirt face down. Get up off the floor scum."

Slowly with his heart pounding he rolled and got to his knees. This time being careful to keep his head down, but also looking across to see what Taki was doing as the jolt of electricity shot through his legs again.

…………………………..

Garcia was sitting looking through yet more information when Hotch knocked on the door and entered the room carrying a lap top.

"Sir?" and she was on her feet with a puzzled frown.

"Garcia, this is Haley's. Was Haley's. I need you to go through it and find out where she got the name for Otikami."

She nodded and took the computer carefully from Aaron's hands. "You think you will find information on here?" She was flipping the top open and turning it on.

"I don't know. That is what I need you to find out. She has passwords on everything. I need you to bypass it and find out if she has the contact information for Otikami here."

Pen patted the chair next to her. "Take a seat sir." And her fingers where flashing across the lap top keyboard.

Aaron sat and watched as the files on his deceased wife's computer fly over the screen. It was beyond Aaron how the techie could take in that amount of information so quickly.

"Contact phone number." She said. "Bank account information. She forwarded some money directly from her bank account to his own. There is banking information here. I will get you the banking info. Just give me a minute."

Hotch watched Pen's computers buzz to like with numbers and information. She seemed to be constantly inputting passwords until she turned to Aaron and smiled.

"He banks at a place in Maine." She printed out all the relevant information and handed it to Aaron. "Thank you Garcia."

"Will that help? Will you be able to find Reid?" Her eyes going from the screen to Hotch and back again.

He stood up holding the paper tightly in his hand. "It's a start. Keep going on that please. I as much as you can get off there."

Hotch walked back to his office and made a call to Cramer in Organised Crime.

……………….

Morgan was sitting at his desk filling in paper work when the felt a hand on his shoulder. "We are going to Maine. We are leaving now."

……………….

Reid was back in his cell on his knees, his hands still restrained behind his back. A bowl of water on the floor near to the door and another bowl of cold grey rice. His head was down and his hair covered his face in dirty clumps. He could feel his body trembling still from the continuous small shocks he had been given. They had been careful not to kill him: what good would he be to them if he was dead? Actually as he knelt on the grill and looked down at the rank water the options of what they could in actuality do to him if he was dead popped in and out of his mind like a crazy nightmare and now he had thought of it the images were stuck firmly there.

Someone was talking to him. A voice rattling in his ear like an annoying bee. He tried to listen and work out what was being said to him, but his brain was being stubborn and not permitting the information to process.

"Listen to me."

But he couldn't listen, he had to keep his head down _'you are stronger than him'_

That wasn't true though. He felt defeated.

"You need to listen."

Reid knew he couldn't answer.

"Please Spencer you must listen to me if you want to survive."

Reid looked down at the water and noticed tiny waves forming as little droplets of water fell into it. Falling at a steady drip from his eyes.

…………………

Taki sat in his room and nursed his leg. The wound wasn't fatal. Infact it wasn't very deep at all, but made to bleed for a short while to cause panic and special effects for the occasion. This didn't mean he was happy about it. Otsu knew his trade well, he didn't like him using it on him though. Taki could feel any power he had once had over Otsu waning and Andanatchi was definitely a follower of Otsu rather than him. Everything just seemed to be falling apart since that Hotchner bitch contacted him, and now sitting in his opulent room, with his female servants sitting around playing relaxing music for him he logged onto his computer to check his email.

There was one he wasn't expecting. It simply said 'I was given your name. Please contact me.' And there was a cell phone number. Another job maybe. Something to take his mind off the shit going down here.

He picked up his cell and dialled the number he had been given. He thought briefly that it might be a trap or ruse of some kind, but like Reid he just wasn't thinking as straight as he should have been.

……………..

Garcia was sitting talking to Morgan when the bleeping started. Someone had used the number they had set up for trace. Morgan called out for Hotch whilst Garcia opened the call up her end and put it on speaker-phone.

"Can help you Sir?" She looked over her shoulder in a mild panic needing Hotch or Morgan to hurry up and talk to this person.

"I got your message."

"One minute sir, can you hold the line please while I put you through?"

Tapping her pen on the desk and looking at Aaron walking quickly with Derek behind him.

Hotch took over and talked. "Hotchner, is this Otikami?"

Silence and a sharp intake of breath.

"What do you want?"

"Reid back."

"What makes you think I know?"

"Don't mess me around Otimaki. I know you have him."

"It's out of my hands. Sorry."

Hotch's stomach did a twist of fear. "What do you mean?"

Another sigh. "I cant talk to you now. Give me a contact number, I will contact you."

Aaron stood and listened to the emptiness of the dead line. "Trace?"

"Maine, near a small village called Caribou, right up on the boarder."

They all started making their ways out of the bunker. "I'm coming with you." Garcia wasn't making a request. "I'm not sitting here waiting and just getting those nasty videos."

………………….

"Reid!" An insistent voice and now someone touching his dirty sweaty hair. "I need you to listen."

He wanted to answer. Slowly he turned his head to look at who was talking to him.

Otikami was crouched looking carefully at Reid. "Your friends are insistant."

Reid gave a puzzled look.

"They contacted me. They are coming to get you. "

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean I don't want them to find me. Please don't. I don't want them to see me like this."

"You would rather they saw you in the movies you have been making?" Taki moved his hand over Reid's face.

"No."

"You are going to trust me then and do what I ask you to do?" Fingers now under his chin and lifting his face to look closer at him.

………………..

**A/N Sorry if this is a bit messy. I know where I am going here, I just need to get there :c)

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	9. Chapter 9 Freedom

Freedom

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

_My angel, - his name is Freedom,  
Choose him to be your king;  
He shall cut pathways east and west.  
And fend you with his wing._

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_.

"You need to try to walk. I will help you, but we need to go now." Taki took hold of Reid by his shoulder and started to guide him towards the door way,

"I don't want to Taki. You go. Get out of here, but I can't go with you." Spencer pulled back away from him and dropped his head back down again. He had no idea how long he had been in this place. It felt like weeks. The times he had awoken tied to post or to the floor were legion. The humiliation of the whole situation was beyond him now. He couldn't leave. He couldn't face his friends again. Not knowing that they had seem even a small amount of what had happened here and the horror of actually finding some of it almost enjoyable; even though he was drugged at the time. His friends didn't know he was drugged. What must they think of him? Dr. Spencer Reid, Porn star.

"With me! You need to come with me now! I have put my plan into play. If we don't leave now we never will. They will sell you into prostitution and they will kill me."

"Let go of me!" Reid was pulling back into the cell which was now his home.

"They will kill Floyd."

Reid stopped pulling and looked up at Taki. "What do you know of Floyd?"

A raised eyebrow. "You will be amazed what we have found out about you."

"What is your plan?" Spencer was scowling at Taki.

Pulling on his shoulder again. "My primary concern is getting you onto your feet again. It's been long enough. You are healing, so get out here stand up and walk with me."

"The plan?"

"That which you do not know cannot be torn from you if it goes wrong. Just walk behind me." Spencer felt the chain being clipped onto the leather collar he was still wearing and hands under his arms pulling him to his feet. "Stand. Please Spencer just stand and follow me."

Once out in the corridor Taki pulled him up to his feet and leaned him against a wall. He wrapped a blanket around Reid's too thin half starved shoulders and bent down to remove the grubby dressings off his feet. The mess underneath was not nice to look at, but thanks to the skills of the torturer Andanatchi nothing had been broken. Cracked, scraped and bruised maybe but not broken as such. Reid still keeping his head down stared at his blackened toenails and the funny colour of his toes, and wondered how long it would be until the needed to be amputated. He watched Taki Otikami put a pair of leather sandals on his battered feet and feeling the pull of the chain he walked limping in silence down the passage to wherever it was Taki was taking him.

Eyes watched from a distance and as the two of them started to move away, the eyes followed smoothly and silently.

……………………………..

It was cold.

It was very cold, and even though it hadn't started to snow yet, it wasn't going to be far off. Reid shivered as he stood in the long winter grass in his sarong sandals and blanket. His hands still behind his back. He hadn't asked for them to be removed and Taki hadn't offered.

They had been walking for hours. Reid's legs hurt and his feet were bleeding. He kept stumbling and falling in the grass, the chain around his neck pulling suddenly and the collar digging in. He kept his head down and his mouth shut until the final time he fell.

It was more of a gentle collapse than an actual fall. He moaned softly. "Taki please stop. I need to rest now."

"Five minutes. We need to keep going. It will snow. I don't want to be out here still when it is snowing." He knelt down in the grass next to Reid and watched him roll over onto his side. Maybe he should remove the bindings on his hands now that they were away, but it bothered him still. He needed to be the one in control. Taki wrapped the chain tightly around his hand and lay down next to Spencer and looked up at the clouds skidding across the cold blue sky. "This is a beautiful place to die. If I was going to die today, I would choose here."

Spencer didn't like the sound of this. It sounded too final. Too defeatist. "I want to die in the desert. I don't choose half way up a mountain wearing a skirt and collar, so just five minutes Taki, and then we move on."

Taki grinned.

…………………………….

Garcia passed the photograph around to Hotch and Derek. "It's a mug shot from a short while back, but the most recent one I could get my hands on."

Each in turn looked at the picture of Otikami. His long hair partially tied back away from an obviously good looking face. "Personally," Garcia continued. "I don't think I would be able to pick him out in a crowd of samurai, but he is cute."

The pulled up into the parking lot of a small motel in the middle of nowhere. It felt l like it was going to snow. There was a slight frosting on the ground and the air was hard and cold.

They walked over the icy ground to the rooms they had pre booked for the night. Tomorrow they were going to meet with Otikami and see if they could retrieve anything which was left of Reid. They had watched every posting of Reid they had been sent. They has watched as he was beaten and touched and manipulated into doing things he wouldn't normally have done. It made them angry, it made them sad, it made them feel lost. Now they were going to get him back again.

………………………..

"We need to move Spencer. We can't stay here. It is too open, I need to find you somewhere safe for the night."

"I don't want to move. Just leave me Taki. Get away and find my friends. I am too tired to move on." Spencer closed his eyes and wished he could have his arms back to wrap around himself to feel that safety he so badly needed.

"I will carry you." And Otikami lifted Reid over his back and began to carry him off out of the long cold grass and into the cover of the trees up ahead.

In the distance someone was watching. He pulled knife from his belt and looked at his reflection. "Soon my sweetness soon. They will both regret the day you chose to mess me around."

……………………….

As Hotch, Morgan and Garcia settled down for the night, looking again at the picture and trying again to get a call through to Otikami. There was either no signal or something had gone wrong and there was no way for them to know which right now.

Otikami pulled Reid close and wrapped his arms around him. He lay behind him and held him tightly.

As they slept someone crouched behind the trees and watched.

The snow started to fall. It fell slowly. meandering it's was from the sky to land gently on the two sleeping forms, and the one awake one. Crouching waiting his tern.

………………………

When Taki awoke Spencer was gone. He looked sideways at the mess in the snow. There was a small amount of blood and lots of disturbance. Slowly he rolled over and looked in the direction the messed up footprints went. He sat slowly and looked over at Otsu standing in the now heavy snowfall with Spencer standing in front of him. His hands still behind his back and his blanket fallen to the floor. His head was down looking at the gentle drip of blood dropping into the snow at his feet.

Otikami leapt to his feet.

"Leave him alone. It's me you want." His had was going for the hilt of a weapon he had at his side.

"Otikami San I want you both."

"Leave him Tokado. You and I. The Two of us. Leave him." Reid's headwas still down and his body, Taki now saw was hanging from the collar Otsu had a tight hold of. As Otsu let go Reid slumped forwards onto his face into the deep snow. Spencer saw through the snow and greyness of loss of air the sword Taki pulled, and he heard a yelp of pain and a hiss as a knife flew through the air and embedded itself deeply into Taki's thigh.

He heard a moan of surprise coming from himself as Otsu's katana dropped and impaled him through his back into the snow.

……………………………….


	10. Chapter 10 Butterfly

Butterfly

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine:

**A/N: I am not at home and so I am using the lap top to write….I think the fic has suffered because of this and I am very sorry about this….I cant not post, so please accept this apology for some really rubbish fiction//sigh**

**OK !!! I found the lost H...and have deleted them ROFL!!!!! **

They stood and watched for a while in the distance. It was like something from a cheap imported oriental movie. Morgan had seen many of them in his time. One man was brandishing a long katana type of sword, the other held two short knives. They were circling each other in the snow. Shouting insults and just making noises to intimidate the other.

"One of these men has to be Otikami." Hotch pulled the photograph from his pocket and tried to make out through the snow if one of them was the man they were meeting up with, and if he was, where was Reid?

Morgan looked at the picture Hotch was holding and looked up at the two men. "I think Otikami is the one with the katana. He looks like the younger of the two men."

"I agree Morgan, but where the hell is Reid?"

The stood in the snow and watched mesmerised for a while by the snow and the swirling men dancing the game of death in the snow. Occasionally they would see a fine spray of blood fanning out from one of them. Otikami was, it seemed, slightly lame and not as fast or skilled as the other man.

…………………

Spencer could feel the blood draining from him. He wanted to move, to get up out of the snow and to scream at Otsu to stop it. He wanted to pull himself to his feet for one last time and show them he wasn't defeated but he couldn't move. He managed to roll over onto his side and looked down to see the point of the blade protruding from near his hips. He cried in pain and anguish. This isn't how he ever dreamed he would die. He moved about a foot forwards watching Taki and Otsu fighting. He could see Taki was weakened and he could see Otsu just seemed to be gathering more strength from the weakness he was seeing.

The hand on his back made him yelp. "Don't move Reid. Just don't move." It was Aaron. He wanted to turn around and see Aaron and he wanted to disappear and hide and he wanted to feel arms around him protecting him and he wanted him never to see Aaron again. He knew that they had seen what he had been forced to do and didn't know how he was going to cope with explaining this to Hotch. So he stayed still and pretended it wasn't happening and watched Taki dancing this death dance in the snow with Otsu.

"My god Reid." Morgan's voice this time.

"Morgan, help him." Not much more than a sigh. He could feel hands touching his bare back and he could hear whisperings and feel hands touching his back. "Leave me – help Taki. He will kill him." His voice was fading.

……………………

Morgan watched the careful way Hotch touched Reid. He looked at the scared look on his face and then at the two men fighting in the snow. He touched Hotch on the shoulder. Trying not to look at the puddle of blood spreading around Reid. Derek took off his warm winter coat and handed it down to Aaron. "Cover him. I will deal with those two. Look after him Hotch." Morgan bent down over Reid and pushed his hair off his face. "We need keys to get those cuffs off his hands. Aaron? – Aaron?" But Aaron didn't seem to be listening. He had placed Derek's coat over Reid and was walking with his gun out towards the two fighting men.

"Stay with him Derek. Call in the paramedics. He needs to be airlifted out of here." Hotch was walking away fast now, calling out in the snow. Shouting a name.

"Otsu!"

Neither man reacted.

"Otsu Tokado!"

Still the two men fought on.

……………………

Reid felt something lay over him. He was too cold though. He was going to die. He was going to lay here in the snow and feel his life drain away into the snow with his hands still tied behind his back and with the collar still around his neck. He felt someone lay down in the snow behind him carefully put an arm over his cold body, pulling the coat tightly over him. He felt hot breath on the back of his neck and

heard a voice. "It's OK Reid man, they are coming to get you. I'm not going anywhere until I know you are safe." Morgan's voice sounded like it was coming from down a long tunnel. Reid sighed and let the arms hold him and watched Aaron walking towards the two men.

………………….

Taki was going to kill him. He had every intention of tearing Otsu apart with his bare hands. He was bleeding from small cuts and lacerations over his arms and upper body. He was still to draw blood on Otsu. Throwing his sword to the snow covered ground he screamed and ran for Otsu, who deftly stood aside and sliced Taki across his back as he ran past. He could hear someone shouting, but the blood pounding in his ears stopped him from hearing. All he knew, all he could think about was he needed to kill Otsu. As fell to the snow and rolled over onto his back he saw the face of Otsu smile. He watched the knife fly from his fingers and he felt it pierce the skin on his chest.

He lay in the snow and cried out in pain and anger as he watched the killer walking slowly over to him. He watched as he pulled a long thin knife from his belt and start to crouch down next to him. He could feel the sticky warmth from his nose and the heat of his blood oozing out of him into the snow and he watched as though in slow motion the side of Otsu's head disappeared and sprayed over the virgin white snow.

Hotch stood over Taki and looked down at him. "The air ambulance is on its way. I will make sure you get help."

Taki stared back up at Hotch. He knew him. He had seen him in the bar of the hotel all those weeks ago when he first took Reid. "Hotchner, Spencer?"

"Not your concern. You just need to know that you will be taken to hospital and then we will talk."

………………..

Spence?

Reid heard a voice from deep inside of him.

_What the hell happened?_

_Where have you been?_

Floyd?

_Where the hell have you been?_

I wanted to ask you the same thing.

_You know I went away._

But I needed you.

_You can't be trusted for a few weeks?_

Floyd help me.

_You don't need my help. You have Hotch._

No! I need you.

_Dirty whore._

…………………..

Morgan could hear Reid muttering to himself as he lay bleeding in the snow. He didn't want to look at the weapon sticking through his back. He didn't want to see the way his hands were wrenched behind his back. He definitely didn't like the way Spencer was shaking and sobbing. Derek gently stroked Reid's back and arms, avoiding the hands and wrists and spoke softly in a calm voice. Inside Derek was screaming and crying and needing Reid to respond to him and not to the voices the seemed to have in his head.

………………….

I'm sorry.

Please come for me.

I need you.

Floyd please.

Talk to me.

Morgan could hardly hear the words Reid was saying and when the sound of the air ambulances finally could be heard he breathed out a long sigh of relief.

_Filthy whore dog._

_Why would I talk to you?_

_I know what you have been doing._

Derek felt hands on his shoulders. "It's OK now sir, we have him."

Morgan whispered in Reid's ear, "I will be coming to the hospital with you. I wont leave you Reid." But he got no reply as the paramedics pulled back the coat and looked at the damage. All Derek could think off that there was too much blood.

Hotch stood next to Taki and watched him bleed out into the snow. He looked over at Morgan and Reid as the air ambulance took Spencer and then looked back down at the bloody snow and the face of Taki unblinking as the snow fell gently now onto the man who had taken money from his wife to abduct Spencer. He watched as Taki started to shake and the blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and trickled down the side of his neck. He looked at Otikami trying to say something. It looked like 'I am sorry.' But it was far too late for that now.

………………….

END!??

…………………

**A/N: Sorry if there are odd errors….but I hate this keyboard!!! GGRR**


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